


The Closing Ceremony

by mollrach13



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: 2012 Summer Olympics, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Olympics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-27
Updated: 2012-10-27
Packaged: 2017-11-17 04:08:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/547448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mollrach13/pseuds/mollrach13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Arthur's last games and he realises something as he watches the flag descend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Closing Ceremony

**Author's Note:**

> The requisite Olympics AU

The crowds were roaring and the base beat bounced through the ground, the joyous voices of the athletes rang around him. Free and happy; another games had come and gone and they had done their duty, all of them, no matter the jewellery adorning their necks. It was a culmination of relief and the weight taken from their shoulders making then feel light enough to fly. 

Arthur remembered the feeling well. It had been the same after Beijing, and at Sydney but it was so much more so after these games, in London…his last.

The lights of the stadium played on around him and hit him suddenly, his feet staggering slightly under the blow. These were his last moments as an Olympic athlete. He would never be stood in this arena again, would ever be stood on this ground watching the Olympic flag fly with ‘Team GB’ proudly blazed across his chest and soul. 

Arthur turned, taking in his surroundings, belatedly trying to absorb every microbe, every speck of colour to his memory, when his eyes landed on the figure beside him. 

Merlin’s face was alight with joy, his famous cheshire grin spread wide over his face, narrowing his gorgeous eyes to slits and emboldening the dimples on each cheek. Arthur memorised this sight too, and, just because he could, reached out a hand to that cheek, running a calloused finger over the pale smooth skin.

Merlin startled slightly but laughed out jubilantly when he saw it was Arthur, grabbing Arthur’s hand and twinning their fingers together. 

“Watch you Prat” Merlin shouted above the din of the crowds. “It’s almost over.”

Arthur looked back to the stage, to where the flags were being taken down, and then London 2012 would be over. 

“It’s finished” he whispered. It was a wonder Merlin heard him, but of he did. At another time Arthur might have made a joke about his ears but right now his world was busy rearranging its self around him.

“Arthur, really?” Merlin laughed. “You’re only just figuring this out?”

“No, I mean - this is it.”

Something in his tone must have made Merlin pay attention because he turned now, his brow creasing in confusion, and perhaps worry. His hand tightened around Arthur’s as he spoke gently. “You knew this Arthur.”

Arthur stared into his boyfriend’s deep blue eyes. “I know” he swallowed.

It had been four years since the first time he had experienced those eyes, perhaps four years and a few weeks after being knocked down by a wide eyed first time Olympian among the halls of Beijing.

And it had been a tumultuous four years. After the dizzying whirlwind romance and Beijing, to the blow of reality falling against their backs. Long distances, arduous training regimes, injuries, stress, Arthur’s well publicised jaunt in Paris with Sophia. The shouting matches, the hum of the dial tone, racy Skype sessions. Arguments that lasted weeks. Merlin’s sleepy morning smile. The pain in Arthur’s chest when he heard of Merlin’s mother. The escalating levels of anger from his coach when he left for a week to be at his boyfriend’s side…

But he had weathered it all. And it was all for this. To be the best in the world, Britain’s most decorated Olympic athlete. And now his oars were hung and he had the rest of his life to plan, and suddenly he couldn’t think of a better way to spend it.

“Marry me.”

Merlin’s eyes widened and his jaw hung comically “What?”

Arthur let out a joyous laugh, the joy and happiness bubbling out of his throat in a bark of noise. “Marry me!” Arthur shook his head in disbelief, disbelief that he was doing this, disbelief that he hadn’t thought of it before. “I’m done. I’m finished. I’ve got no responsibilities anymore. It’s just you now, only you.”

“Arthur…”

“I’m serious.” He lowered himself, his aching joints creaking, but he could think of no better position to be in to plea for Merlin to take him, aching joints, retired oars and all. He lowered himself to his knee in the sea of the Olympic athletes never taking his eyes from Merlin's widening ones.

“Oh my god…” Merlin breathed.

“Merlin, I could never want to give you any less than my all, I can do this now. Please – I’ll follow you wherever you need to go. To Rio and back.”

There was a beat, maybe two, where the hum of the crowds fled away and there were no lights save the blue of Merlin’s eyes. Arthur felt the ground beneath his knees and his hand still grasped tightly in Merlin’s and he felt steady and grounded for the first time in a long time.

Then Merlin hauled him up, and into his arms. Their lips came together with force but moved as one into a kiss with well-practiced ease.

The unspoken answer soared through Arthur’s veins. He gripped his arm tightly around Merlin’s waist, lifting lightly so Merlin’s long legs pulled slightly off the ground. Merlin yelped, pushing at his shoulder but Arthur just grinned and replaced him on the ground; he could do nothing but grin, his lungs heaving heavily against Merlin’s muscled chest. 

“You’re a crazy old man.” Merlin whispered against his lips.

“That was a yes though right?” Arthur grinned, one hand coming up to brush at Merlin’s cheek.

Belatedly Arthur realised that the crowd’s roars and cheers had grown larger and louder and more ecstatic. He looked out from his bubble of Merlin, to Gwaine standing grinning nearby. With a jerk of the shaggy head Arthur looked up to find Arthur and Merlin embraced on the large screens around their head. 

Arthur smiled and could tell Merlin had noticed a moment later when the younger man groaned and tried to bury his head into Arthur’s neck.

But Arthur didn’t care; he wanted them all to see. He ran a hand down to Merlin’s long hand and lifted the fingers to his lips. Then he lifted them above his head, as he had done every medal; gold silver or bronze, he had won over his years.

The crowd erupted further, cheers and whistles swarming down on his and Merlin’s combined bodies. And Arthur held their enjoined hands high and proud, the greatest medal and achievement he could have ever won in his arms.


End file.
